“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Personal Reality, a book Ruburt may have heard of, does indeed deal precisely with such issues. No particular episodes alone, though they may seem to do so, ever cause a particular condition, say, of illness, though such episodes may be used as catalysts. Instead, the framework of belief in which the episodes occur has prime importance. Fears should not he inhibited, but encountered, and yet behind all of them, in your time at least, lies the feeling that the individual is powerless against the conditions of his body or the events of the world.

Intuitively Ruburt blazed through such beliefs—intuitively—and his books and mine are evidence of that. Intuitional knowledge and conscious assimilation are some poles apart, at least in your society. Both of you found it quite necessary to take a strong conscious, critical look at the material from the beginning, for your trainings told you, in the terms that you understood them, that the “subconscious” could be very misleading, though creative, and that therefore you must critically examine any intuitive productions that profess themselves to stand as truths rather than as creative fictions in your world.

Because Ruburt was the person most involved, he became in a way the most critical. Therefore to some extent he has not been able to use the ideas on his own behalf nearly as effectively as he might.

The material in Personal Reality, however, contains psychological and psychic truths. Those truths have indeed, and as of now, helped millions of people. Those people were not involved in such a psychic initiation, however, in your time, so they can in your terms afford to use such helpful information, and do not feel any need at all to hold themselves apart from it as Ruburt has.

If the material does not work, they can always blame Ruburt, you see.

Now: your friend Tam quite happily gives readings with Ruburt’s experience behind him, and he says “I simply say, I take no responsibility for what James says.” Ruburt, however, takes the responsibility for what I say.

There are other reasons, however, that have added up to a feeling of powerlessness on Ruburt’s part in regard to his physical condition. Both of you have a tendency to concentrate upon the ills of the world—and so that applies also to the mail, for you remember the letters of those who are in difficulty far more than other letters—and Ruburt thinks that he is simply one more person with a problem that seemingly cannot be solved.

Your pendulum sessions have been of benefit, and one reason is because they represent a united, joint and determined effort on both of your parts, and Ruburt feels your support. He therefore feels less lonely in his efforts. The subconscious is of course a hypothetical terms that stands for the portions of the self at which normal consciousness and the source self meet. There are really no hidden beliefs. The pendulum method is simply a technique that is effective because of your beliefs, and brings to light your own quite conscious ideas—those that you might not approve of, and so conveniently appear to forget.

Your immediate situation and all past ones, regardless of personal fears, which should not be discounted, result from Ruburt’s until-now determined decision to stand critically apart from his intuitional knowledge. That knowledge, in other words, consciously assimilated and used, can solve any of the personal problems.

Before I continue I would suggest that if others “use Personal Reality like a bible,” Ruburt could at least take it seriously. He does not like people to speak of the book in that way because it arouses, of course, thoughts of those who followed any dogmas without using common sense—dogmas that blindly led people into further feelings of powerlessness. Both of you are critical enough. I would most heartily suggest then that Ruburt use that book.

Ruburt’s mood of powerlessness must be broken, and you can help him there. Such a program will have effects in your life also, Joseph. Ruburt’s fears, again, should not be buried, nor should they be emphasized, but the book will tell you how to handle this. I mean both of you. (By having faith that in the future things can be better—thus, no conflict.)

Ruburt is back to writing, which means that he has made inroads again. He has been emphasizing the problem, which adds to the feeling of hopelessness. There has been however on both of your parts a new determination to do what is necessary, an impetus not to let matters ride, and a new quickening at other levels of your own relationship with each other, so that your love for each other in Framework 2 is coming to your aid now.

Ruburt’s new inclination for house cleaning is an excellent sign of intent and impulse, and your own support marks your own determination. You saw the bodybuilding program (Pumping Iron). Ruburt’s body is making a valiant effort to readjust and to strengthen itself. When bodybuilders work together they have guidelines to follow. Their muscles hurt. They are aware of each group of muscles. As Ruburt’s muscles exert themselves they often also hurt, but there is no one for him to compare his situation to—and because he has not trusted the body he becomes alarmed.